Great beginners espresso machine

I admit it - I LOVE COFFEE. I have been a coffee geek for several years now and I FINALLY bought myself an espresso machine.

Years ago my mother bought me a cheap espresso machine (Krups steam espresso machine) and the carafe broke the first time I used it. I decided I was going to buy myself an espresso machine so I started researching.

After literally years (something like 5 years) of researching, I settled on the Gaggia Coffee. In my research, I learned a few things about coffee, espresso, and the art of preparing espresso. I will touch on these briefly simply as a short guide to anyone looking to purchase an espresso machine.

Espresso Vs. Coffee - a brief history
Coffee has been around for ages. The legend has it that an Ethiopian goat herder noticed his goats were especially excited after eating a peculiar fruit on a nearby tree. He tried them and discovered the bean (actually the seeds of the coffee tree) gave him energy. Over the years people have learned to roast, grind, and steep the resulting coffee powder in coffee to produce the coffee drink we know today.

It the early part of the 20th century an Italian coffee shop owner wanted to figure out a way to make coffee in a more rapid fashion. He found that many people were simply not willing to wait around for the 4 minutes of brewing time normally associated with coffee. He discovered that he could 'force' water through the grinds to make a small, strong cup of coffee rapidly or 'espresso'. It wasn't until the 1920's when spring levered coffee machines first appeared that the cup of 'espresso' as we know it came to be.

In order to make the perfect cup of espresso the Italians say you need four things - the Miscela (coffee blend), Macinacaffe (grinder), Macchina (espresso machine) and the Mano (barista). Finding a good espresso machine will fulfill one of these four needs (the Macchina).

A good espresso machine will have several things that a cheap espresso machine, like the Krups I once owned briefly, doesn't have. It will have a mechanical method of delivering hot water to the coffee under pressure. The standard measurement is 'bar' and the rule of thumb is that you need a minimum of 8 bar (120psi) to properly brew espresso.

A good espresso machine will also have a boiler large enough to heat enough water to brew your espresso AND have some left over to steam your milk or enough heating elements and/or heat exchangers that the barista can be sure the temperature for brewing remains constant.

A good espresso machine also should have a 'professional' style grew group and portafilter. The portafilter is the holder for the coffee grounds. The brew group is the part of the machine that the portafilter connects with. These should be HEAVY and made of a thick, thermo stable metal so the brew group or portafilter does not adversely affect the temperature of the water.

Lastly - a good espresso machine will be made to last. It should be relatively easy for a person with basic handyman skills to take apart and install replacement parts. You do not want to be spending $500 on an espresso machine only to find out you have to toss the whole thing out when your pump dies.

The Gaggia Coffee
The Gaggia Coffee is made in Italy by one of the original manufacturers of espresso machines. It has several features that make using this machine easy and one of the most affordable true 'espresso' machines available anywhere.

The Boiler
The boiler in the Gaggia Coffee is made of aluminum, which is an excellent conductor of heat and is wrapped with two heating elements. The boiler itself holds 3.5oz of water, which is a little small, but the heating elements heat up the water very rapidly.

The Brew Group and Portafilter
The brew group and portafilter on this machine are excellent. They are made of chrome-plated brass, which adds a significant amount of thermal protection to keep the water hot during brewing. The portafilter is a commercial size (58mm) which makes replacement, should it ever be necessary, relatively easy. It also makes finding a good tamper a breeze!

The Controls
The controls on the Gaggia Coffee are simple and straightforward. They consist of three switches on the front of the machine and a twist knob on the side. The front switches turn the machine on, activate the brewing cycle, and turn on the second heater for steaming of milk. There are two lights located on the front of the machine as well. One indicates the machine is on and the other lights when the system is ready to either brew or steam.

Using the machine
I purchased this machine from someone living in the same town that my parents live in. I gave my father the information, promised him some $$, and asked him to pick the unit up for me. He got it and sent it with some other items to my office. The day it arrived I could not wait until I could get home and give this machine a try! I read the instructions, which are very well written and easy to understand. They walk the user through the initial setup of the machine and a standard brew cycle.

I went home, plugged the machine in, filled it with water, and proceeded to wait. Since everything had to warm up (the boiler, the brew group, and the portafilter), Gaggia recommended waiting 6 minutes before starting. Several places I have found on-line recommended even longer warm up times so I ran to the store to pick up some materials (milk, chocolate syrup, etc...) while the machine warmed.

Brewing Espresso
I fired up my trusty burr grinder (see my review on the Cuisinart burr grinder), removed the portafilter from the machine, filled it with coffee, tamped it, and locked it in place. I flicked the switch and watched the golden brew flow into my espresso cups. When the espresso blonded (color became much lighter and thinner) I turned the switch off and waited for another few seconds while the espresso finished brewing.

While the shots weren't perfect, it was pretty darn good. This machine, like all other espresso machines, takes some time to learn and 'dial in' before working perfectly. The next two shots I made were better (I still need a better grinder) and I am sure the shots will continue to improve as I learn the quirks of the machine.

Steaming Milk
Steaming milk is just as easy as making espresso. Gaggia recommends if you are making a milk drink such as a Latte' you start by making the espresso then steam the milk. The Gaggia Espresso makes it pretty easy - you flip on the 'steam' switch on the front of the machine and wait for the green light to go on. The steam wand is on the right side of the machine. You put the wand tip just below the level of the milk in your pitcher and twist the knob. You only need to twist it about 1/2 a turn - anything more than that just means you have to twist it more to turn it off!! The wand attachment is supposed to give you perfect foam. It doesn't work that well, but I was, in fact, able to steam milk up to the correct temperature of 150 without any major problems.

Cleaning
Cleaning this unit is pretty easy as long as you do it right away. Immediately after steaming milk wipe the wand off with a damp rag. Hold the rag underneath the steam wand and turn on the steam to ensure there is no milk left inside the unit. Please take care not to burn yourself as it IS steam coming out of that wand....

Once you are done brewing let the portafilter sit in the machine for a minute or two or the unit will 'sneeze'. See below under 'issues'. Once the portafilter is out empty the puck into a knock box, sink, wastebasket, whatever. Rinse this under water.

Once a month run a decaling solution through the machine to clear out any water scale or calcium build-up in the machine.

Issues
Since this machine is on the lower end of quality espresso machines, it lacks a 3-way solenoid. This means you can't backflush water through the system (sucking water back through the brew group) and there is no quick way to relieve pressure in the system. If you haven't released the pressure before you try to take the portafilter out you can cause your machine to 'sneeze'. Sneezing is what we call it when air rushes out of your brew group/portafilter and blows coffee grounds all over the kitchen. It is ugly. The best way to resolve this is to simply be patient. Brew your espresso, froth your milk and turn off the steam switch. Wipe down the steam wand and enjoy your espresso. A few minutes later open the steam valve on the steam wand again to release any extra built up pressure THEN take the portafilter off the brew group. No sneezing.

Also - the plastic 'turbo frothing' wand attachment is worthless. It will make thick, big, nasty bubbles that resemble dishwater bubbles. Proper espresso drinks are made with 'microfoam' which is super small, silky, and luxurious.

Gaggia includes a plastic 'tamper' for your espresso machine. Give it to the cat and buy a good quality tamper. You can find them on eBay for $20. Make sure you find a tamper that is the right size for your machine (the Gaggia machines use a 58mm tamper).

Overall Impressions
I am very impressed with this machine. The espresso produced by this machine is excellent with good flavor and crema. The unit is sturdy and is easy to maintain. There is a learning curve associated with this machine, but it is easy to figure the basics out. I will need to buy a new grinder because the one I have just doesn't quite cut it for espresso.

The only thing I would change on the machine is the steam wand. The plastic attachment is worthless, but you can't really steam milk without it. I can get a replacement steam wand on-line for less than $50 that should solve this problem. For now it is good enough to keep me happy.